Once and for all, a soldier's song

'My girls' photo by Mike Marcellino, South Vietnam, 1967-68



'Search and destroy' photo by Mike Marcellino, 1967-68












We should ask ourselves -

'Why do we not bring an end to all this unnecessary slaughter and suffering in America and our world?'

Once and for all
a soldier's song
by mike marcellino

No more ‘thank you’s,
No more memorial days,
No more salutes,
No more parades,

No more, if you please,
Unless and until,
America gets it right,
soldiers' rights.

Our nation’s third century
of GIs fighting, dying,
sticking their necks out for us,
our way of life,
taking a hit, covering lethal charges,
save a brother’s life.

Too many body bag houses,
soldiers' homes for that the ones never coming back.

Too many wounds, terrible prices.

Too many in prison, and somehow locked up.

Too many in body, not spirit. Once 'n for all, get it right.

Stop starting wars for no reason,
by bad intent or the gravest mistake.

Man, like don't tell us to ‘take the hill’ when its suicide, same bloody ground we took the other day.

Starters, deciders, you go fight.

Never again, send soldiers into battle, to fight,
lie wounded, coming home in disbelief, with wounds no eye can see.

Why mister presidents, congresspeople did you authorize benefits, a GI Bill, to 9 million Vietnam veterans with an expiration date?

Once 'n for all,
America, do your duty.


Copyright Mike Marcellino, 2009, Once and for all, a soldier's song. Mike served in the United States Army as a combat correspondent and photojournalist in the Vietnam War.

If you would like to listen to his recorded songs go to Split Pea/ce, www.myspace.com/splitpeace. More of his writing can be found on his Blog, Notebookwriter on Myspace as well as his Networked Blog, www.notebookwriter.blotspot.com

Mike served as a combat correspondent and photojournalist in the United States Army with II Field Force in the Vietnam War.

Memorial Days are rememered each day in the lives of those who lost loved ones, as well as for those whose loved ones were maimed or wounded, physically, emotionally or mentally, in that terrible war, both Americans, Vietnamese and people from other nations.

The Vietnam War remains the nation's longest, from 1963 to 1973, though it goes beyond that. It appears that the various wars in the Middle East, somewhat different, but all related, have already broken that record.

The Vietnam War left in its wake, more than 58,000 American troops dead, hundreds of thousands wounded, hundreds of thousands imprisioned, hundreds of thousands still homelesss. Countless millions of people were killed and wounded in the Vietnam War, thousands left missing, not counting the killing fields of Cambodia and the undeclared war in Laos.


We should ask ourselves -

'When will we bring an end to all this unnecessary slaughter and suffering in America and our world?'

Writings and photos copyright by mke marcellino 2009


To listen to mike's lyrical Americana pop poetry song recordings -

www.myspace.com/splitpeace

Question for mike try mike marcellino on Facebook